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Wolf Report

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Wolf Report

Table of Contents

Legal references on this page apply to England.

NEW APRIL 19TH 2013 Education Funding Agency letter to FE colleges: "we will fund any college for home educated young people aged 14-16 from September 2013"

Letter to local authorities here http://edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter1.pdf
Letter to FE colleges here http://edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter2.pdf
More details are expected by the end of May but meanwhile please direct further questions to regional EFA contacts, details here http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/b00199952/educationfundingagency/contacts

Email to Home Educating Parent About Under-16s College Funding, April 26th

Alternative Provision Funding has now ceased. Funding was taken away from local authorities for under 16s in Further Education and colleges were told at the end of 2012 they would be funded directly by government (the new Education Funding Agency) for 14-16s. However, colleges have been under the impression that they can't take ANY 14-16s from September 2013 unless they make fundamental changes which would enable them to become "14-16 Centres". And hardly any college are ready able or willing to do that. This is why we had the meeting at Westminster last month to resolve the issue.

At the Westminster meeting in March 2013, the Department for Education explained that individual 14-16 students COULD still be funded, which was good news but everyone said it needed to be explained officially. We are part way to achieving the official explanation because last Friday April 19th the Education Funding Agency sent letters to local authorities and to FE colleges explicitly saying that home educated students WOULD be funded.

Anyone who made enquiries before April 19th is likely to have been turned away, and those people should go back with a copy of the official letters and ask again.

All the information and letters are here http://edyourself.org/articles/allpartygrouphomeeducation.php#apgfe14-16 The college letter can be downloaded here http://edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter2.pdf

The latest news I had from DfE - on Thursday April 25th - was that a guidance document on 14-16 college funding is currently being worked on and will be available shortly. Meanwhile, queries should be directed to 14-16inFE.EFA@education.gsi.gov.uk

14-16s College Events Open to Home Educators Spring/Summer 2013

http://edyourself.org/telfordflier.pdf Telford College Arts and Technology Home Education Evening May 23rd
http://edyourself.org/westnottsflier.pdf West Nottingham College Taster Day June 11th
http://edyourself.org/halesowenflier.pdf Halesowen College Home Education Evening June 17th
NEW March 2013 http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/parents/involvement/homeeducation/a0073322/funding-for-home-education with information about High Needs Block Funding from 2013 and transitional arrangements for the Alternative Provision Census
http://edyourself.org/articles/funding.php Home education funding page updated March 2013

All Party Group Home Education Meeting March 2013: Access to FE College 14-16s

The Home Education APPG probed the new arrangements with DfE for under-16s to apply directly to college. http://edyourself.org/articles/allpartygrouphomeeducation.php#apgfe14-16

Part-time College

I received the following from DfE in December 2012: "From 2013/14, funding for home educated pupils aged 14-16 who are attending colleges will be passed directly to the colleges through the 16-19 funding formula. Some of these pupils may be attending part-time, some of them full-time. The 16-19 funding formula allows for part-time participation and details on how it works can be found in our funding guidance at http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/fundingallocations/a00210682/funding-formula-review For other 14-16 year olds (ie those who have been previously enrolled in a school but wish to undertake their KS4 education at a college), they will be able to enrol full-time at a college that is eligible and has made the decision to offer education to KS4. These students will not be able to enrol part-time. I also asked "will there be any role or responsibility for the local authority home education officer with the college prior to the part-time enrolment or with the college/family once the student is attending part-time?". DfE answered that "arrangements are between the parents and the college and do not need to involve the local authority at all."

For further enquiries to DfE, please use the contact form on the DfE website https://www.education.gov.uk/help/contactus/dfe

Supported Internships in FE Colleges for Young People with SEN

Click here to read about http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/send/changingsen/b00211325/sen-supported-internships Supported internships in FE colleges for young people with SEN.

Post-16 Funding Model For College

LA Update DfE November 5th 2012:Arrangements for funding home educated 14- 16-year-old pupils in colleges
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e/efa%20funding%2014-16%20in%20college%20web.pdf Education Funding Agency
16-19 Funding: "We intend to fund all part time students based on four bands, calculated from the planned guided learning hours for the year"
SEE 16-19 Funding Policy here http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/1/16-19%20funding%20policy%20document.pdf

Funding for Part Time College

Band 3 360-449 hours per year, will be funded at 405 hours per year
Band 2 280-359 hours per year, will be funded at 320 hours per year
Band 1 up to 280 hours per year, will be funded at % of 600 per year
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/l/final%20pm%20letter%2016102012%20web.pdf

Summary Wolf Report

The Wolf Report on Vocational Learning in England was published in March 2011. Alison Wolf said that the young person's programme of study should provide for labour market and educational progress and that the system needed to be simplified dramatically to encourage innovation and efficiency. With the publication of DfE's response to the consultation on 16-19 study programmes and plans for implementation on July 3rd 2012, most recommendations relating to post-16 study were incorporated into DfE's plans for 2013 onwards. The final point was direct admission to colleges for 14-16s confirmed on November 5th, with further details added by DfE on December 13th/14th 2012.

Schools Funding Reform

Changes to Schools Funding Announced July 2012 replacing LACSEG for central services + changes to Dedicated Schools Grant + Fairer Funding
DfE's 16-19 Funding Guidance to Local Authorities, August 2012

Post-16 Reforms: Qualifications and Funding

  • End perverse incentives for colleges paid-by-result to offer lower-grade qualifications.
  • 16 to 18 year olds without GCSE English and maths must continue to study those subjects up to 19.
  • Extend funding to enable 19-24s to take GCSE maths and English
  • Aim to fund coherent programme of learning for 16-18s rather than funding individual qualifications

"From 2013/14, we will replace the current formula with funding per student to take account of real variations in costs. We will apply a weighting for retention of students, another for the higher costs of some subject areas, plus a single allocation for each provider for disadvantaged students. We will also uplift the whole allocation by an area costs adjustment where applicable. To the total programme funding for each provider we will then add funding for those individual students with learning difficulties or disabilities with the highest needs, funding for bursaries and other financial support for students, plus any transitional protection on a per student basis from the earlier funding changes that were introduced from 2011/12. To enable funding per student we will integrate the extra £100m of Additional Learning Support (ALS) funding we paid out over the last two years into programme funding...[Government will] protect against redistribution for at least the next three years, ensuring no provider loses funding as a result of these formula changes."

http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/speeches/a00222547/ioe-open-lecture-on-a-level-reforms Institute of Education open lecture on A-Level reforms Elizabeth Truss, March 7th 2013
http://edyourself.org/ofstedlearningskillsinspectors.pdf
http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a00224304/techbacc-accounced DfE TechBacc announcement April 22nd 2013
http://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-news/fe-sector-responds-to-techbacc-plans
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/payandpensions/a00215224/briefing-events-post16 DfE Briefing Sessions around the country, October 2012, to explain post-16 funding arrangements in 2013/14.
DfE Announcement July 2012 on Raising Participation Age from 2013 Timetable for implementation Education Act 2011
http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/studentsupport/funding/a00210682/funding-formula-review
DfE Letter to providers, October 2012, explaining funding for different hours
16-19 Funding Policy: Published July 2012
DfE 16-19 Funding Guidance to Local Authorities, August 2012
DfE response to the consultation on 16-19 study programmes and plans for implementation: Published July 2012
DfE Announcement October 2011 New Rules for Vocational qualifications
Back on Track Alternative Provision Pilots DfE Final Report October 2012

Qualification Reforms Pre-16

  • Ofqual to look at reforming GCSE resits ie exams to be taken only at end of course
  • Greater focus on spelling, punctuation and grammar for GCSEs
  • Govnt to develop new performance indicators for 16+ English and maths progression
  • Apprenticeship programmes must offer GCSE maths and English to those without qualifications
  • Continued promotion of University Technical Colleges + renewed emphasis on Studio Schools

DfE December 14th 2011: End for GCSE modules and spelling, punctuation and grammar marks restored to exams
DfE Announces Approval 12 More Studio Schools for 2012
DfE Announces Approval 14 University Technical Colleges

Wider 14-16 Reforms Including Funding

New funding system for college 14-16 from September 2013

  • Govnt to encourage colleges to take more 14-16s
  • Re-evaluate Foundation Learning to see what best helps under 16s to progress to GCSEs in maths and English
  • Development of new Maths and English qualifications to enable progression to GCSEs
  • Govnt wants vocational qualifications to have element of external assessment plus exam
  • Govnt to identify best 14-16 vocational qualifications and recognise them in performance tables
  • Changes to schools/college funding

http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/qandlearning/a00218365/14-16-enrolment-in-colleges-faqs
http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e%20bulletin%20issue%201.pdf Education Funding Agency Bulletin April 2013
DfE Announcement October 2011 New Rules for Vocational qualifications
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jan/31/gcses-gcse-equivalent-qualifications-reduced
Fairer Funding Schools Announced Summer 2012
Minister Elizabeth Truss: from September 2013 further education colleges will be able to admit 14 to 15yearolds on their own sayso rather than via local authorities."
The School and Early Years Finance (England) Regulations 2012 published December 2012 apply to the 2013-14 financial year and come into force on 1 January 2013.
MICHAEL GOVE HOUSE OF COMMONS STATEMENT ON SCHOOL FUNDING 2013-14, June 2012
DfE Schools Funding Page Updated December 5th 2012
DfE Funding Reform FAQ October 2012

Professor Wolf at the Education Select Committee April 2011
  • Where young people don't have GCSEs they should keep trying to get them
  • This does not necessarily mean straight resits
  • Professor Wolf has herself worked to develop free-standing qualifications as preparation for GCSEs
  • EBac: nobody told her before it was suddenly introduced
  • Against Technical Bac as this would mean return to academic/vocational split at 14.

First Impressions March 2011

Media comments have focused on the Wolf Report's scathing critique of vocational qualifications. However, one of the first changes is likely to be the inclusion of Maths and English as a key component of all educational programmes for young people, possibly with a requirement for re-sits of Maths and English GCSEs for students up to the age of 19. One aspect of the Wolf Report could be particularly relevant to home educators, namely the recommendation to open up FE colleges to under 16s. I was struck by the Report's pragmatic attitude towards University Technical Colleges, the EBac and apprenticeships. Professor Wolf seems to be looking for ways to make the most difference at the least cost, which involves making use of existing Further Education colleges rather than investing in new buildings. As Professor Wolf dispassionately notes: "The great advantage of colleges is that they can offer vocational programmes without needing large additional capacity, and have a critical mass of professional staff already available. If there is the demand, students will enrol: if not, nothing much is spent, or lost." Key recommendations are concerned with changing the funding structure in order to nudge schools and colleges into delaying early specialisation and promoting the delivery of core academic subjects. Wolf says that students should be funded on the basis of an entire programme of education and that Maths and English should be core subjects for all ages and stages, though not necessarily endless re-takes of GCSEs. Wolf's repeated message is that students should not be on an irreversible track. Contributors to the Review were apparently convinced that a common core curriculum could be delivered in 4 days leaving 1 day for vocational or practical learning. Wolf also suggests that funding could be based on "employment outcomes" and hints at the possibility of league tables for the Further Education sector, saying "It is worth noting that DfE (DCSF/DfES) did, and does retain, one enormously powerful lever over how institutions behave: the performance measures which determine institutions’ position in league tables."

Alison Wolf article, Department for Education Website March 8th 2011

"Performance tables, funding systems and regulatory compliance are all pushing in the wrong direction – against the better judgment of teachers and lecturers working in our schools and colleges. To take one particularly shocking example: the system actively discourages 16-19 year olds from catching up with their English and Maths so that each year 300,000 18 year olds start adult life without the equivalent of a Maths or English GCSE."
Michael Gove Secretary of State Foreword to Wolf Report. Professor Wolf sees University Technical Colleges as an expensive way to make a difference to relatively few young people and is reported in an interview as saying "what I’ve also suggested, which I think is much more easily spread out over the country in a time of austerity, is that it should be easier for FE colleges to recruit young people, because that means that they get access to really good quality facilities...but actually we also need to do something to help everybody fast."
Alison Wolf Interview Womans Hour

The Wolf Report says that colleges must offer students a full 14-16 programme – or arrange collaborative teaching with local schools and notes that where colleges enrol students under 16 then they can revive junior technical provision. Professor Wolf says the Government should make explicit the legal right of colleges to enrol students under 16 and should ensure that funding makes this possible.

With regard to the EBac Professor Wolf notes that any single threshold measure always concentrates attention on those who are just on either side of the threshold at the expense of the wider group. "The ‘5 GCSEs’ measure incentivises schools to neglect those at the top of the attainment range, because like any measure with a threshold it focuses attention on students just on one or other side of it. It is important that schools be given a strong incentive to pay attention to their least academically successful and their most academically successful pupils. And recent research suggests that the most effective supplementary measures will look at average point scores." In relation to apprenticeships, Professor Wolf notes that relatively few employers offer apprenticeships to under 18s and that this is not likely to change substantially. Therefore apprenticeships can't be seen as the solution. Where apprenticeships are offered, Maths and English should be a required component. By comparison with other countries England permits young people at an early age to opt for vocational education without basic academic subjects. Wolf says there is widespread misunderstanding of the system in Germany where school students pursue a general academic education to 16.

Link Reference

This article is http://edyourself.org/articles/WolfReport.php. The following links to other websites are contained in the article, displayed as citations to aid you in printing the document.

  1. http://edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter1.pdf http://edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter1.pdf
  2. http://edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter2.pdf http://edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter2.pdf
  3. http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/b00199952/educationfundingagency/contacts http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/b00199952/educationfundingagency/contacts
  4. the meeting at Westminster last month http://edyourself.org/articles/allpartygrouphomeeducation.php#apgfe14-16
  5. http://edyourself.org/14-16collegeletter2.pdf http://edyourself.org/articles/allpartygrouphomeeducation.php#apgfe14-16
  6. http://edyourself.org/telfordflier.pdf http://edyourself.org/telfordflier.pdf
  7. http://edyourself.org/westnottsflier.pdf http://edyourself.org/westnottsflier.pdf
  8. http://edyourself.org/halesowenflier.pdf http://edyourself.org/halesowenflier.pdf
  9. http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/parents/involvement/homeeducation/a0073322/funding-for-home-education http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/parents/involvement/homeeducation/a0073322/funding-
    for-home-education
  10. http://edyourself.org/articles/funding.php http://edyourself.org/articles/funding.php
  11. http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/qandlearning/a00218365/14-16-enrolment-in-colleges-faqs http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/qandlearning/a00218365/14-16-enrolmen
    t-in-colleges-faqs
  12. http://edyourself.org/articles/allpartygrouphomeeducation.php#apgfe14-16 http://edyourself.org/articles/allpartygrouphomeeducation.php#apgfe14-16
  13. http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/fundingallocations/a00210682/funding-formula-review http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa/fundingallocations/a00210682/funding-form
    ula-review
  14. http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/send/changingsen/b00211325/sen-supported-internships http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/send/changingsen/b00211325/sen-supported-internsh
    ips
  15. LA Update DfE November 5th 2012:Arrangements for funding home educated 14- 16-year-old pupils in colleges http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/strategy/laupdates/a00216912/14-16-funding-colleg
    es
  16. http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e/efa%20funding%2014-16%20in%20college%20web.pdf http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e/efa%20funding%2014-16%20in%20college%20web.pdf
  17. http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/1/16-19%20funding%20policy%20document.pdf http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/1/16-19%20funding%20policy%20document.pdf
  18. http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/l/final%20pm%20letter%2016102012%20web.pdf http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/l/final%20pm%20letter%2016102012%20web.pdf
  19. response to the consultation on 16-19 study programmes and plans for implementation http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DFE-00031-2011
  20. Changes to Schools Funding Announced July 2012 http://edyourself.org/articles/SEN.php#fundingreform
  21. DfE's 16-19 Funding Guidance to Local Authorities, August 2012 http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/toolsandinitiatives/efaebulletins/h00212487/issue-9/article01
  22. http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/speeches/a00222547/ioe-open-lecture-on-a-level-reforms http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/speeches/a00222547/ioe-open-lecture-on-a-level-reforms
  23. http://edyourself.org/ofstedlearningskillsinspectors.pdf http://edyourself.org/ofstedlearningskillsinspectors.pdf
  24. http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a00224304/techbacc-accounced http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a00224304/techbacc-accounced
  25. http://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-news/fe-sector-responds-to-techbacc-plans http://www.fenews.co.uk/fe-news/fe-sector-responds-to-techbacc-plans
  26. http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/payandpensions/a00215224/briefing-events-post16 http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/payandpensions/a00215224/briefing-events-post16
  27. Timetable for implementation Education Act 2011 http://edyourself.org/articles/leavingage.php
  28. http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/studentsupport/funding/a00210682/funding-formula-review http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/studentsupport/funding/a00210682/fund
    ing-formula-review
  29. DfE Letter to providers, October 2012, explaining funding for different hours http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/l/final%20pm%20letter%2016102012%20web.pdf
  30. 16-19 Funding Policy: Published July 2012 http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/1/16-19%20funding%20policy%20document.pdf
  31. DfE response to the consultation on 16-19 study programmes and plans for implementation: Published July 2012 http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/qualifications/a00210755/16-19-study-program
    mes
  32. DfE Announcement October 2011 New Rules for Vocational qualifications http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a00199719/all-vocational-qualifications-to-be-judged
    -against-strict-new-rules
  33. Studio Schools http://www.utcolleges.org/faqs
  34. DfE December 14th 2011: End for GCSE modules and spelling, punctuation and grammar marks restored to exams http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a00200883/end-for-gcse-modules-and-spelling-punctuat
    ion-and-grammar-marks-restored-to-exams
  35. DfE Announces Approval 12 More Studio Schools for 2012 http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a00200863/new-studio-schools-to-bridge-gap-between-s
    chools-and-the-world-of-work
  36. http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/qandlearning/a00218365/14-16-enrolment-in-colleges-faqs http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/qandlearning/a00218365/14-16-enrolmen
    t-in-colleges-faqs
  37. http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e%20bulletin%20issue%201.pdf http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/e%20bulletin%20issue%201.pdf
  38. DfE Announcement October 2011 New Rules for Vocational qualifications http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a00199719/all-vocational-qualifications-to-be-judged
    -against-strict-new-rules
  39. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jan/31/gcses-gcse-equivalent-qualifications-reduced http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jan/31/gcses-gcse-equivalent-qualifications-reduced
  40. Fairer Funding Schools Announced Summer 2012 http://edyourself.org/articles/SEN.php
  41. Minister Elizabeth Truss: from September 2013 further education colleges will be able to admit 14 to 15yearolds on their own sayso rather than via local authorities." http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmeduc/uc559-ii/uc55901.htm
  42. The School and Early Years Finance (England) Regulations 2012 http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/financialmanagement/schoolsrevenuefunding/financ
    eregulations/a00218106/school-and-early-years-finance-regulations
  43. DfE Schools Funding Page Updated December 5th 2012 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm120628/wmstext/120628m0001.htm#12062862
    000096
  44. DfE Funding Reform FAQ October 2012 http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/f/funding%20reform%20faqs%20%20oct%202012.pdf
  45. Professor Wolf at the Education Select Committee April 2011 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmselect/cmeduc/uc925/uc92501.htm
  46. Alison Wolf article, Department for Education Website March 8th 2011 http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/articles/a0075281/alison-wolf-writes-for-the-times-about-her-r
    eview-of-vocational-education
  47. Alison Wolf Interview Womans Hour http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/transcript%20of%20alison%20wolf%20on%20today%20programme.
    doc
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